Background:
Evidence has revealed that renal impairment can affect the systemic exposure of drugs
which are predominantly eliminated via the liver. The modulation of drug-metabolizing enzymes and transporters
expressed in the liver and/or small intestine by diverse entities, including uremic toxins, in systemic circulation of
patients with severe renal failure is considered as the cause of atypical pharmacokinetics, which sometimes induce
undesirable adverse events that are especially critical for drugs with narrow therapeutic window such as anticancer
drugs. A dosing strategy for anticancer drugs in these patients needs to be established.
Methods:
The effects of renal impairment on the systemic exposure and safety of anticancer drugs were summarized.
The proposed mechanisms for the alterations in the pharmacokinetics of these anticancer drugs were also discussed.
Results:
Changes in pharmacokinetics and clinical response were reported in 9 out of 10 cytotoxic anticancer drugs
investigated, although available information was limited and sometimes controversial. Systemic exposure of 3 out of
16 tyrosine kinase inhibitors was higher in patients with severe renal failure than that in patients with normal kidney
function. An increase in systemic exposure of anticancer drugs in patients with renal impairment is likely to be observed
for substrates of OATP1B1, despite the limited evidence.
Conclusion:
The molecular basis for the effect of uremia on non-renal drug elimination still needed to be clarified
with further studies to generate generalizable concepts, which may provide insights into establishing better clinical
usage of anticancer drugs, i.e. identifying patients at risk and dose adjustment.